The NBA’s play-in tournament appears to be here to stay. Now, it looks like it might not be the only tournament the league showcases.
The NBA is reportedly considering adding an in-season tournament as early as the 2023–24 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s unclear exactly when or how the league plans to implement such an event.
The play-in tournament was first introduced during the 2020 season, which was paused for months due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and restarted in the Orlando bubble. Since then, each conference has held a four-team play-in event to determine the final two seeds for the postseason field.
This year’s play-in tournament saw the Timberwolves and Pelicans advance in the Western Conference, while the Nets and Hawks won their play-in games to make it to the Eastern Conference field.
The specific format for a prospective in-season tournament is currently unknown. Similar events are regularly held in soccer, though they typically pit teams from different leagues and countries against one another.
